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Job Description

Health information technicians, also called medical records technicians, manage, analyze and organize patient medical records and databases for statistical reports and studies.

They design and manage health information systems to insure they meet medical, legal, and ethical standards. Seeing that each patient's medical record is complete, kept confidential, and safeguarded from individuals not involved with the medical care of the patient are paramount concerns.

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Education Requirements

Medical records and health information technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree from a career college or community college.

Experienced technicians may specialize in coding, particularly Medicare coding, or in cancer registry. Most coding and registry skills are learned on the job. Some schools offer certificates in coding as part of the associate degree program for health information technicians.

For cancer registry, there were 11 formal 2-year certificate programs in 2005 approved by the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA).

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What You'll Study

Curriculum varies from program to program but most programs cover:

  • Medical terminology
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Legal aspects of health information
  • Coding and abstraction of data
  • Computer science

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Licensing

Most employers prefer to hire Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA), who must pass a written examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

To take the examination, a person must graduate from a 2-year associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Technicians trained in non-CAHIIM-accredited programs or trained on the job are not eligible to take the examination. In 2005, CAHIIM accredited 184 programs for health information technicians.

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Spotlight Schools

Colorado Technical University Online

At Colorado Technical University, we understand the importance of your goals to pursue an industry-current, college degree. We offer access to skilled professors, small class size and flexible learning programs online and on campus.

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American InterContinental University Online

AIU Online offers convenient, flexible alternatives that enable you to fit a career-focused education into your current lifestyle. This is the perfect format for students looking to pursue opportunities in a competitive job market.

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MCed Career College

At MCed, we believe that we are only as successful as our graduates. Our primary goal is to graduate highly marketable students who are prepared for jobs in high-demand medical careers.

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